#FIFAputos

Abstract

The word puto introduced semantic controversy into the 2014 World Cup. The word has been equated by some to a homophobic slur among the ranks of fag and faggot. American media and equality activists petitioned against the use of the word in Entertainment and Sports Programming Network and Univision broadcasts. Mexican soccer fans who used the word in a chant during matches argue that the word has no homophobic context in its use and is instead geared at distracting the opposing team. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) opened up an investigation into the use of the word by Mexican soccer fans and concluded that it was not a violation of their code of conduct and permitted its use; however, debate around the word still exists. Even though the debate was covered thoroughly by American media, stories failed to express the views and perspectives of those in support of the chant. The current study employed a textual analysis of tweets defending the chat that included the hashtag #FIFAputos. Employing the theoretical lens of McCormack’s homosexually themed language, the findings add nuance to the cultural, temporal, and spatial context of semantic meaning. Four themes also organically evolved from the analysis.